by Neil Munro

About the author: Neil Munro is a policy reporter for Washington Technology, a business newspaper published by the Washington Post Company.

The American Library Association has an answer for parents who are concerned about pornography on library computers: Buzz off. What’s more, the association recommends that libraries furnish private booths in which patrons, including children, may view Internet porn undisturbed. A growing number of protesters—parents, social conservatives, and some librarians themselves—are fighting back.

Their protests stem from the decision of the Supreme Court in June 1996 to void half of the 1996 Communications Decency Act—the half that sought to outlaw the display of online smut to minors. Although the library association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other groups claim credit for the court’s decision, none...